Machine for lasting footwear



May 14, 1963 Filed July 27, 1960 J. VLEK ET Al. 3,089,163

MACHINE FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS.

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May 14, 1963 J. v| :EK ET AI.

MACHINE FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2'7, 1960 INVENTORS. 2 0110??? 1'2" Vc c'igk y A 12/022112 PeZrZef/{a %ZM/-v/ May 14, 1963 J. VL EK ET Al.

MACHINE FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 2'7, 1960 INVENTORS. i1" VFc Jaram BY Azzlozzz'zz Pelrz hesive coat to be fully elfective.

United States Patent Gfifice 3,089,163 Patented May 14, 1963 3,089,163 MACHINE FOR LASTING FOOTWEAR Jaromir Vlcek and Antonin Petrzelka, Gottwaldov,

Czechpslovakia, assignors to Zavody presueho stro jirenstvl, Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia Filed July 27, 1960, Ser. No. 45,648 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia Sept. 1, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 12-101) The present invention relates to a device for the lastmg of footwear and deals in particular with the lasting of the fronts of shoe uppers.

According to heretofore known manufacturing processes the folded upper has been secured to the insole by cementing and for this purpose the adhesive has been applied successively and the joined portions subjected to a successive rolling or smoothing operation. Said proc ess requires the shoe upper to be stretched prior to the lasting operation and to be secured by means of several fastening members to the last, for which purpose a special machine has to be employed. When one-stroke lasting machines were used, the upper and the insole had to be provided in advance with an adhesive layer, which operation used to be carried out either manually or mechanically, a time delay having to be allowed for the ad- A number of separate machines had to be used for this purpose.

The present invention aims at removing the aforesaid disadvantages. According to the new method the shoe upper is, in one position, gripped, stretched and secured by a profiled clamping mold member acting against the circumference of the last and, in the same machine, in another position, the adhesive is injected and the rim of the upper folded over the edge of the last and ironed over. The invention relates also. to a device for carrying out said method, the device comprising substantially two working stations and a clamping head, which is mounted for rotation in a carrier member travelling between the working stations.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 shows the overall arrangement of the device in a perspective view;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the clamping mechanism of the device of FIG. 1, in section on the line IIII of FIG. 3;

i FIG. 3 is a plan view of the clamping mechanism taken in section on the line IIIIII of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational section of the mechanism of FIG. 3 taken along the line IV-IV.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is seen a support or body 1 carrying a mechanism 2 for stretching a shoe upper 8 on a last 9. The mechanism includes tongues 3 actuated by a knee-operated lever 4, a stretching piston 5 actuated by a hand lever 6, and a heel support 7.

FIG. 2 shows the stretched shoe upper 8 on the last 9, on which an insole 10 is also fastened. An elastic approximately U-shaped clamping member 11 best seen in FIG. 3 is arranged in a clamping head 12 in such a manner that its 'free ends are connected by means of links 13, 13' with horizontally elongated bars 14, 14 attached to a transverse connecting member 15. From the center of the member 15 a pin 16 extends upwardly through a horizontally slidable member 17 threadedly engaging a screw 18. A coaxial sun wheel 19 fixed on the screw 18 meshes with two planet wheels 20 on a planet carrier member 21. The planet wheels 20 also mesh with a stationary ring gear 20 on the spindle 27. The member 21 is connected by means of a key 22 with a pinion 23 meshing with a rack 24. Movement of the rack 24 is derived by means of a pin 25 from a nonil lustrated piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder. Mounted on the clamping head 12 above the U-shaped or profiled clamping member 11 is a toe support 26 which can be vertically adjusted by a screw 27'.

The clamping head 12 is arranged on a carrier spindle 27 rotatably mounted in bushes 28 on a bifurcated supporting member 29. The spindle 27 is provided with an external gear rim 30 and with two diametrically opposite grooves 31 each having the cross sectional shape of a segment of a circle, and serving for arresting the spindle 27 in its working positions as will become apparent hereinafter. The bifurcated member 29 travels between two guide members 32 rigidly attached to the support 1 of the machine and connected at the top by a cross-piece 33. Secured to the guide members 32 are two profiled guiding rails 34 and 35. One guide member 32 also carries a toothed rack 36. The profiled guiding rail 34 is provided at its ends with respective vertioal contact faces 37 and 38, and the profiled guiding rail 35 with contact faces 39 and 40, the distance between the faces 39 and 37, 40 and 38 corresponding to the distance between the parallel bottoms of the grooves 31. The central portions of the profiled guiding rails are provided with respective recesses 41 and 42 corresponding to the maximum diameter of the spindle 27 and permitting its rotation. Vertical reciprocating movement of the bifurcated member 29 is caused by a piston rod 43 of a hydraulic mechanism 43 actuated by a knee-operated lever 44 in a known manner not further illustrated.

In the second, upper working station, the machine is provided with a mechanism 45 for ironing the folded upper, and with a mechanism 46 for injecting an adhesive. These two mechanisms are more fully described in our copending patent applications.

The a'fore-described apparatus is operated as follows:

The insole 10' is fastened to the bottom of the last 9. The shoe-upper 8 is freely fitted over the last, and

its heel-portion is fastened to the insole by a nail. The

last is placed on the stretching piston 5 against the pressure of the spring-loaded heel support 7. The rim of the upper is placed into the opened jaws of the tongues 3 (FIG. 1) which are then closed by means of the kneeoperated lever 4. Lifting of the stretching piston 5 against the bottom of the last 9 is controlled by the hand-lever 6 to stretch the shoe-upper 8 on the last. The kneeoperated lever 44 is actuated next for lowering the profiled clamping member 11 with the clamping head :12 and spindle 27 from their upper working position shown in FIG. 2 in chain dotted lines. After the clamping mold member 11 descends to its lower working position it is moved horizontally towards the pp r t l i conformingly surrounds the same along the circumference of the last and clamps it to the last. The horizontal closing movement of the profiled clamping member is actuated by a non-illustrated piston rod of a hydraulic mechanism acting on the pin 25 to move the rack 24 longitudinally while meshing with the pinion 23 on the planet carrier member 21. The planet gearing causes rotation of the screw 18 and horizontal, axial sliding movement of the member 17, which is secured against rotation in the spindle 27 by a key 17 The axial movement of the member 17 is transmitted by the pin 16 to the transverse member 15 which actuates parallel longitudinal movement of the bars 14 and 14'. The links 13 and 13 transform the movement of the bars 14, 14' into clamping movement of the ends of the profiled clamping member 11 toward each other.

As soon as the shoe upper 8 is thus clamped to the last 9 by means of the profiled clamping member 11, the jaws of the tongues 3 are opened, and the profiled clamping member together with the sh e-uppe is moved to the upper working position. During this movement which is controlled by the lever 44, the spindle 27 is lifted without rotating as long as it slides along the faces 38 and 40 which engage the grooves 31. During further upward movement of the external gear rim- 30 of the spindle 27 engages the rack 36, so that the spindle 27 together with the profiled clamping member 11 and the last 9 rotates until the insole 10 is turned upward. The upward movement of the spindle 27 is terminated while the faces 37 and 39 engage the grooves 31, so that the spindle is secured against rotation in the upper work station.

The abutment in the upper working position causes the mechanism 46 to inject an adhesive along the periphery of the insole, whereupon the ironing mechanism 45 folds the rim of the shoe upper over the edge of the last by means of suitable fingers and irons it over. The last 9 with the upper 8 remains in the upper working position until the operator fits another last into the tongue jaws in the lower working station and stretches another upper there. He then actuates the knee-operated lever 44 and removes the ironed shoe upper with the last while the profiled clamping member proceeds to the lower working position to engage the next upper, whereupon the cycle of operations is repeated.

An important advantage of the invention resides in the Simplicity of the afore-descri-bed device. The operator visually observes the stretching of the upper in the lower Working position, and controls it by means of the hand lever 6 By shifting the parts to the other pperative position he not only provides room for stretching the next upper on the last but he also provides the necessar setting time for the adhesive to firmly connect the rims of the upper to the insole under the pressure of the ironing mechanism. The last is turned in the upper working position with the insole upward, and permits a better application of the adhesive to the insole and to the rims of the upper. Dripping of the adhesive and soiling of the shoe or of the machine is thus prevented. Because of the elasticity of the profiled clamping member, the device according to the invention is capable of lasting uppers of right as well as of left shoes. For particularly unsymmetrical shoes the profiled clamping member can easily be replaced, while the remaining mechanism remains unchanged.

We claim:

1. A machine for lasting the fronts of footwear, comprising a body of the machine, means for securing the last with the shoe upper fixed thereto in the machine, a mechanism for stretching the shoe upper, a mechanism for ironing the fold of the upper, a mechanism for injecting adhesive, a guide rigidly mounted in the body of the machine, a bifurcated member adapted to travel in the guide, bearing bushes provided in said bifurcated member, a spindle mounted for rotation in the bearing bushes, a clamping head carried by said spindle and adapted for rotation therewith, a profiled clamping mold member carried by said clamping head, said clamping member being adapted to clamp the upper on the last and to exert pressure thereon against the circumference of the last, driving means operatively connected to said spindle and adapted to impart thereto rotary movement and means for displacing the clamping member with its associated parts from one working position into another working position, said latter means comprising a rack mounted in said guide, profiled guiding rails, arresting faces at the ends of said profiled guiding rails to engage and arrest the spindle in its working positions, a recess in the central portion of the profiled guiding rails, permitting the rotation of the spindle, said driving means imparting rotary movement to the spindle comprising a rack and a pinion, meshing with the rack.

2. A machine for lasting the fronts of footwear comprising a body of the machine, means for securing the last with the shoe upper fixed thereto in the machine, a mechanism for stretching the shoe upper, a mechanism for ironing the fold of the upper and a mechanism for injecting the adhesive, a guide rigidly mounted in the body of the machine, a bifurcated member adapted to travel in the guide, bearing bushes provided in said bifurcated member, a spindle mounted for rotation in the bearing bushes, a ciamping head carried by saidspindle and adapted for rotation therewith, a profiled clamping mold member carried by said clamping head, said clamping member being adapted to clamp the upper on the last and to exert pressure thereon against the circumference of the last, two links, each connected at one end to the clamping member, a driving screw mounted for rotation in said clamping head, a threaded member arranged on said screw for sliding movement relative to said head, but secured against rotation, a pin mounted in said threaded member and a connecting member carried by said pin, said two links being connected at their other ends to said beam, a planet gearing arranged in the clamping head, a pinion in said planet gearing, a rack adapted to mesh with said pinion, said planet gearing imparting movement to said driving screw to actuate said profiled clamping mold member, driving means operatively connected to said spindle and adapted to impart thereto rotary movement and means for displacing the clamping member with its associated parts from one working position into another working position.

3. A machine for lasting footwear comprising, in combination:

(a) a support;

(b) stretching means on said support for stretching a first shoe upper on a corresponding first last, said stretching means defining a first Working station;

(0) ironing means on said support for applying adhesive to the stretched first shoe upper and for ironing the same While a second shoe upper is being stretched on a second last by said stretching means at said first working station, said ironing means defining a second working station; and

(0.) moving means for moving a last carrying a corresponding shoe upper between said working stations, said moving means including clamping rriold means for holding the shoe upper being moved in stretched condition on the corresponding last while moving between said stations.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3, said moving means further including rotating means responsive to movement of a last between said stations for rotating said last about a horizontally extending axis.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said moving means further include guide means extending between said stations, carrier means mounted on said support and movable along said guide means, said carrier means carrying said clamping mold means, drive means for actuating movement of said carrier means along said guide means between said stations, and cooperating means on said guide means and on said carrier means for rotating said carrier means about an axis responsive to said movement thereof.

6. A-machine as set forth in claim 5, wherein said axis extends horizontally.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,260,034 Perri Mar. 19, 1918 2,572,011 Cohen et al. Oct. 23, 1951 2,885,699 Ronza May 12, 1959 2,891,265 Dunlap June 23, 1959 2,898,615 Chapelle Aug. 11, 1959 2,926,367 Gilbride et a1 Mar. 1, 1960 2,969,555 Kamborian Jan. 31, 1961 

1. A MACHINE FOR LASTING THE FRONTS OF FOOTWEAR, COMPRISING A BODY OF THE MACHINE, MEANS FOR SECURING THE LAST WITH THE SHOE UPPER FIXED THERETO IN THE MACHINE, A MECHANISM FOR STRETCHING THE SHOE UPPER, A MECHANISM FOR IRONING THE FOLD OF THE UPPER, A MECHANISM FOR INJECTING ADHESIVE, A GUIDE RIGIDLY MOUNTED IN THE BODY OF THE MACHINE, A BIFURCATED MEMBER ADAPTED TO TRAVEL IN THE GUIDE, BEARING BUSHES PROVIDED IN SAID BIFURCATED MEMBER, A SPINDLE MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN THE BEARING BUSHES, A CLAMPING HEAD CARRIED BY SAID BIFURCATED ADAPTED FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, A PROFILED CLAMPING MOLD MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID CLAMPING HEAD, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO CLAMP THE UPPER ON THE LAST AND TO EXERT PRESSURE THEREON AGAINST THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE LAST, DRIVING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SPINDLE AND ADAPTED TO IMPART THERETO ROTARY MOVEMENT AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE CLAMPING MEMBER WITH ITS ASSOCIATED PARTS FROM ONE WORKING POSITION INTO ANOTHER WORKING POSITION, SAID LATTER MEANS COMPRISING A RACK MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE, PROFILED GUIDING RAILS, ARRESTING FACES AT THE ENDS OF SAID PROFILED GUIDING RAILS TO ENGAGE AND ARREST THE SPINDLE IN ITS WORKING POSITIONS, A RECESS IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE PROFILED GUIDING RAILS, PERMITTING THE ROTATION OF THE SPINDLE, SAID DRIVING MEANS IMPARTING ROTARY MOVEMENT TO THE SPINDLE COMPRISING A RACK AND A PINION, MESHING WITH THE RACK. 